a process based on experience that results in a relatively permanent change in behavior or behavioral potential

learning-performance distinction

the difference between what has been learned and what is expressed in overt behavior

habituation

a decrease in behavioral response when a stimulus is being presented repeatedly

sensitization

an increase in behavioral response when a stimulus is presented repeatedly

behavior analysis

the area of psychology that focuses on the environmental determinants of learning and behavior

classical conditioning

a type of learning in which a behavior (conditioned response) comes to be elicited by a stimulus (conditioned stimulus) that has acquired its power through an association with a biologically significant stimulus (unconditional stimulus)

reflex

an unlearned response elicited by specific stimuli that have biological relevance for an organism

unconditional stimulus (UCS)

In classical conditioning, the stimulus that elicits an unconditioned response

unconditioned response (UCR)

In classical conditioning, , the response elicited by an unconditioned stimulus without prior training or learning

conditioned stimulus (CS)

In classical conditioning, a previously neutral stimulus that comes to elicit a conditioned response

conditioned response (CR)

In classical conditioning, a response elicited by some previously neutral stimulus that occurs as a result of pairing neutral stimulus with an unconditional stimulus

acquisition

the stage in classical conditioning experiment during which the conditioned response is first elicited by the conditioned stimulus

extinction

`in conditioning, the weakening of a conditioned association in the absence of a reinforcer or unconditioned stimulus

spontaneous recovery`

the reappearance of an extinguished conditioned response after a rest period

stimulus generalization

the automatic extension of conditioned responding to similar stimuli that have never been paired with the unconditioned stimulus

stimulus discrimination

a conditioning process in which an organism learns to respond differently to stimuli that differ from the conditioned stimulus on some dimension

law of effect

a basic law of learning that states that the power of a stimulus to evoke a response is strengthened when the response is followed by a reward and weakened when it is not followed by a reward

operant conditioning

learning in which the probability of a response is changed by a change in its consequences`

operant

behavior emitted by an organism that can be characterized to terms of the observable effects it has on the environment

reinforcement contigency

a consistent relationship between a response and the changes in the environment it produces

reinforces

any stimulus that, when made contingent on a response, increases the probability of that response

positive reinforcement

a behavior is followed by the presentation of an appetitive stimulus, increasing the probability of behavior

negative reinforcement

a behavior is followed by the removal of an aversive stimulus, increasing the probability of that behavior

escape conditioning

a form of learning in which animals acquire a response that will allow them to escape from an aversive stimulus

avoidance conditioning

`a form of learning in which animals require responses that allow them to avoid aversive stimuli before they begin

operant extinction

when a behavior no longer produces predictable consequences, its return to the level of occurrence it had before operant conditioning

punisher

any stimulus that, when made contingent on a response, decreases the probability of that response

positive punishment

a behavior is followed by the presentation of an aversive stimulus, decreasing the probability of that behavior

negative punishment

a behavior is followed by the removal of an appetitive stimulus, decreasing the probability of that behavior

discriminative stimulus

stimulus that acts as a predictor of reinforcement, signalling when particular behavior will result in positive reinforcement

three-term contigency

the means by which an organism learns that, in the presence of some stimuli but not others, their behavior is likely to have a particular effect on the environment

primary reinforcer

biologically determined reinforcer, such as food and water

conditioned reinforcer

in classical conditioning, a formerly neutral stimulus that has become a reinforcer

schedule of reinforcement

in operant conditioning, a pattern of delivering and withholding reinforcement

partial reinforcement effect

the behavioral principle that states the responses acquired under intermittent reinforcement are more difficult to extinguish than those acquired with continuous reinforcement

fixed-ratio (FR) schedule

a schedule of reinforcement in which a reinforcer is delivered for the first response made after a fixed number of responses

variable-ratio (VR) schedule

A schedule of reinforcement in which a reinforcer is delivered for the first response made after a variable number of response whose average is predetermined

fixed interval (FI) schedule

a schedule of reinforcement in which a reinforcer is delivered for the first response made after a fixed period of time

variable-interval (VI) schedule

a schedule of reinforcement in which the reinforcer is delivered for the first response made after a variable period of time whose average is predetermined

shaping by successive approximations

a behavioral method that reinforces responses that successfully approximate and ultimately matched the desired response

biological constraint on learning

any limitation on an organisms capacity to learn that is caused by the inherited sensory, response, or cognitive capabilities of members of a given species

instinctual drift

the tendency for learned behavior to drift toward instinctual behavior over time

taste-aversion learning

a biological constraint on learning in which an organism learns in one trial to avoid food whose ingestion is followed by illness

comparative cognition

the study of development of cognitive abilities across species and the continuity of abilities from nonhuman to human animals

cognitive map

a mental representation of physical space

observational learning

the process of learning new responses by watching the behavior of another